NAKED PERSIMMON Re-Mix! Audio AND Video!

Here's a favorite unreleased song, from the Monkees' 1969 NBC-TV special, 33 1/3 REVOLUTIONS PER MONKEE! It's Michael Nesmith's schizo tune, NAKED PERSIMMON (also known as ONLY THING I BELIEVE THAT'S TRUE), re-mixed here as a longer, more rockin' little tune!

To start, I used the vocal-less track included on the recent Rhino INSTANT REPLAY deluxe CD set, and removed the last country stanza of the tune (combining it with the vocals during the 2nd country stanza here), and added more of the "rock portion" to the front, middle, and end. I layered in Michael's vocals, recorded and adjusted from the TV special, letting his voice bounce from left to right channel (where the two sides "argue" with each other)! I added my own backing vocals and harmonies, shakers, cowbell, hand-claps, harmonica, vibraslap, and general percussion throughout, to re-create and re-present this amazing song! Click below to listen!

BONUS! Click below to SEE my accompanying video for the tune, made up of footage from the original NBC special!

(THROUGH THE) LOOKING GLASS Re-Mix!

This fun re-mix started with a fan-circulated "out-of-phase" vocal-less base version of the song! I layered back in Micky's vocals, using the recently-released "fuzz-tone guitar" take of the song, from the INSTANT REPLAY deluxe set from Rhino! I wanted to add the fuzz guitar to only ONE channel, over the basic original backing! I enhanced the fuzz effects here an there, with added cymbals, drums, percussion, vocal backing effects, and bass! You'll also hear portions of other versions and takes of the song, as released over the years! I also lengthened the tune, adding various effects and bits at the fade-out, going for a thick, chunky garage band power-pop sound!

YOU AND I Re-Mix!

To start with my re-mix of this 1969 Monkees classic, I used the rare backing track (newly released by Rhino), added percussion, tamborine, “double drum” effects, extra bass, and some lengthening, along with a few other treats, and away we go on this rocker! Last task was to lay in Davy’s voice tracks from the original release of the song (since no vocals were ever put down on this version), having to cut and place each phrase to make them fit! Some studio chatter culled from a number of other songs and takes were also added. Had this in the works for weeks, when news came of the sad death of Davy Jones.Click to play!

SOMEDAY MAN Re-Mix!

This was a real labor of love! I started with the recently-released backing bed of the song, one that went unused by the Monkees in the 60s. I added percussion, effects, distortion (to put it into the psychedelic arena a bit more), backing vocals, as well as lengthening the tune, then ran into a huge problem! The bug? None of Davy's existing vocals for any take of SOMEDAY MAN would fit this slower-tempoed version! Even if I cut each stanza and verse and pasted them into place--no dice! So, I had the choice to post the backing track (with my additions) sans vocals, or (shudder) sing the song myself! 

 And, that's what I did! 

 So, once I laid down the basic vocal (using Paul Williams' lyrics), Dolan Bigley went to work using the Auto-Tuner (thank heavens), and his expertise in arranging and sweetening and polishing things here and there. I then came back in with more harmonies and supporting voice work, whistling effects, and... There you have it. Consider this my tribute to the late Davy Jones.

Click to play!